The Graduate Discussion Thread

Original post by gemmam

Suppose it can't hurt.

Congrats :smile:

Thank you

Reply 981

Original post by itsmyname

Anyone think it's worth applying for jobs even though you lack one of the required job specs?

I'm applying for a simple clerical job at a University and it requires that I have worked in a similar higher education setting which I haven't, however I fit the rest of the criteria

Worth a go?

I'd still apply but I'd highlight skills from other areas of my work that could fill that requirement. University jobs seem to be really competitive - even for entry level office work so just emphasize your skills to the hilt.

Has anyone left their degree off a job application?

To keep this brief, I've been invited to an interview based on an application I sent without mention of my degree. I'm quite sure that having my degree on my CV has prevented me from getting 'regular jobs' and this week I sent out a few applications without my degree on my CV. One of those applications has resulted in an invite to interview (part of my is shocked and part of me is not surprised at all!).

So to anyone who has also done this, how do you get through an interview without mentioning your degree or those 3 years of your life (I learnt a lot in terms of transferable skills) and how do you account for 'gaps' (i.e times during my studies where I wasn't working)?

I think mostly, I'm worried about having to keep up the pretense of being a person who left school and went straight to work - not only at interview but afterwards if I get the job - and I'm wondering if they can actually find out that I went to uni? If an employer did find that out, is that grounds for dismissal? I'm just wondering if withholding info is viewed as lying. It's not like it's negative info like a criminal record but it's worrying me a bit. If it was up to me I'd be upfront about everything but seemingly, my degree makes me unemployable, hence why I'm omitting it.

Reply 982

gemmam

17

Original post by somethingbeautiful

I'd still apply but I'd highlight skills from other areas of my work that could fill that requirement. University jobs seem to be really competitive - even for entry level office work so just emphasize your skills to the hilt.

Has anyone left their degree off a job application?

To keep this brief, I've been invited to an interview based on an application I sent without mention of my degree. I'm quite sure that having my degree on my CV has prevented me from getting 'regular jobs' and this week I sent out a few applications without my degree on my CV. One of those applications has resulted in an invite to interview (part of my is shocked and part of me is not surprised at all!).

So to anyone who has also done this, how do you get through an interview without mentioning your degree or those 3 years of your life (I learnt a lot in terms of transferable skills) and how do you account for 'gaps' (i.e times during my studies where I wasn't working)?

I think mostly, I'm worried about having to keep up the pretense of being a person who left school and went straight to work - not only at interview but afterwards if I get the job - and I'm wondering if they can actually find out that I went to uni? If an employer did find that out, is that grounds for dismissal? I'm just wondering if withholding info is viewed as lying. It's not like it's negative info like a criminal record but it's worrying me a bit. If it was up to me I'd be upfront about everything but seemingly, my degree makes me unemployable, hence why I'm omitting it.

I haven't but I've been tempted to but decided against it as I only did volunteering work during my degree and I thought it might hinder me. Instead I took the result off my CV for non-grad level jobs (thinking that they might assume I got a low grade and ergo less likely to assume I'm over qualified). How long are your gaps?

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Reply 983

Original post by gemmam

I haven't but I've been tempted to but decided against it as I only did volunteering work during my degree and I thought it might hinder me. Instead I took the result off my CV for non-grad level jobs (thinking that they might assume I got a low grade and ergo less likely to assume I'm over qualified). How long are your gaps?

Posted from TSR Mobile

During the 3 years that I was at uni, I did voluntary work during my first and second year for the same organisation, so I'm covered for that because I just put the job on my CV and didn't specify that it was voluntary. Then I did a work placement in my last year which only lasted 8 weeks but on my CV for that time period, I just put 'Job title, company name, 2012' so I didn't specify any dates. So technically, on paper - I'm covered - but at interview I'm going to have to account for basically a whole year of nothingness (where I was actually at uni). Plus, I have gaps in my employment since uni and, again, I've covered this by not specifying the months of my employment/voluntary work - I've done *something* each year, but not continuously. If I was completely transparent about all this, I guarantee I would not be getting responses but without being transparent, I'm wondering how I'm going to get through an interview.

Reply 984

Original post by somethingbeautiful

During the 3 years that I was at uni, I did voluntary work during my first and second year for the same organisation, so I'm covered for that because I just put the job on my CV and didn't specify that it was voluntary. Then I did a work placement in my last year which only lasted 8 weeks but on my CV for that time period, I just put 'Job title, company name, 2012' so I didn't specify any dates. So technically, on paper - I'm covered - but at interview I'm going to have to account for basically a whole year of nothingness (where I was actually at uni). Plus, I have gaps in my employment since uni and, again, I've covered this by not specifying the months of my employment/voluntary work - I've done *something* each year, but not continuously. If I was completely transparent about all this, I guarantee I would not be getting responses but without being transparent, I'm wondering how I'm going to get through an interview.

You really like backpacking :wink:

Reply 985

Original post by Antifazian

You really like backpacking :wink:

Haha! Someone in my family also suggested that. I'm such a bad liar though, I don't think I'd be convincing at interview and they'd probably catch me out :biggrin:

.

Reply 986

Original post by somethingbeautiful

Haha! Someone in my family also suggested that. I'm such a bad liar though, I don't think I'd be convincing at interview and they'd probably catch me out :biggrin:

.

I can't imagine you'd have a problem really - if your CV shows you doing work (the volunteering etc.) during those few years, then it will just look as though you were between positions and if pressed, you could just mention travelling as a last resort.

Reply 987

Original post by Antifazian

I can't imagine you'd have a problem really - if your CV shows you doing work (the volunteering etc.) during those few years, then it will just look as though you were between positions and if pressed, you could just mention travelling as a last resort.

Yeah, fingers crossed. I might google some far flung places to read up on just in case.

Reply 988

Slowbro93

20

Original post by somethingbeautiful

Yeah, fingers crossed. I might google some far flung places to read up on just in case.

Also see that you're applying for medicine :h:

What made you do the change? :h:

Reply 989

Original post by Slowbro93

Also see that you're applying for medicine :h:

What made you do the change? :h:

Realizing that I don't want to do anything related to my degree in terms of grad schemes or the MA/PhD route and realizing that I want a career that gives me some kind of meaning in my life (cliche but true), that has a positive impact and generally wanting something intellectually stimulating with opportunity for career progression. My other option was teaching but after some work experience I abandoned that career move.

Reply 990

lyrical_lie

19

Boyfriend got a grad job :biggrin:

However it's so far away from me, I'm going to start looking for closer jobs next year I think.

Reply 991

Yawn11

20

What sites are you guys using fr grad jobs/ schemes?

Kinda annoying that like 50% of jobs seem to be for recruitment consultant positions

Reply 992

lyrical_lie

19

Original post by Yawn11

What sites are you guys using fr grad jobs/ schemes?

Kinda annoying that like 50% of jobs seem to be for recruitment consultant positions

I used jobs.ac.uk for mine :h:

Reply 993

Aula

Eek! I start my new job tomorrow!

Original post by Yawn11

What sites are you guys using fr grad jobs/ schemes?

Kinda annoying that like 50% of jobs seem to be for recruitment consultant positions

Mine's not a grad scheme job, but I got mine by applying directly with the company.

Reply 994

Original post by Yawn11

What sites are you guys using fr grad jobs/ schemes?

Kinda annoying that like 50% of jobs seem to be for recruitment consultant positions

There's Milkround, TargetJobs and all those popular ones. I didn't bother scrolling through all the pages, as like you say there's a lot of very similar stuff, but they have good mailing lists you can sign up for to get alerts when certain companies you're interested in open for applications.

I got the Times top 100 graduate employers book from my uni careers service and then just went through highlighting which companies i'd like to, and be eligible to, work for and then went directly to their websites to see if applications were open.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 995

King Leonidas

21

So I start my job as a receptionist/administrator with a national law firm on Tuesday, hopefully it lasts longer than my short stint as an agency worker at Manpower. I was told that ample training would be provided, I will definitely need this because I have literally not experience in legal admin. Any tips you guys can provide for my first day would be greatly appreciated, I asked over the phone if I should bring anything and they said just my bank details.

Original post by Aula

Eek! I start my new job tomorrow!

Mine's not a grad scheme job, but I got mine by applying directly with the company.

How's it going so far :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 996

lyrical_lie

19

Original post by King Leonidas

So I start my job as a receptionist/administrator with a national law firm on Tuesday, hopefully it lasts longer than my short stint as an agency worker at Manpower. I was told that ample training would be provided, I will definitely need this because I have literally not experience in legal admin. Any tips you guys can provide for my first day would be greatly appreciated, I asked over the phone if I should bring anything and they said just my bank details.

How's it going so far :smile:

I used to be a law receptionist I found it really interesting as it was criminal and my degree was in law. Some of the lawyers will take the piss giving you typing to do and say on it needs to be done by an hour. I accidentally got a bit sassy when telling them that there was no way that could happen as I was still doing the other lawyers typing. Apparently this pushed me up in their esteem as I knew my limits. So don't try and tell them you'll have something done really quickly when it can't.

Get to learn court phone numbers quickly especially the button options. If your audio typing it's hard to begin with but definitely gets easier as you get to know what they're saying.

Any other questions let me know :tongue:

Reply 997

King Leonidas

21

Original post by lyrical_lie

I used to be a law receptionist I found it really interesting as it was criminal and my degree was in law. Some of the lawyers will take the piss giving you typing to do and say on it needs to be done by an hour. I accidentally got a bit sassy when telling them that there was no way that could happen as I was still doing the other lawyers typing. Apparently this pushed me up in their esteem as I knew my limits. So don't try and tell them you'll have something done really quickly when it can't.

Get to learn court phone numbers quickly especially the button options. If your audio typing it's hard to begin with but definitely gets easier as you get to know what they're saying.

Any other questions let me know :tongue:

Thanks for the help Lyrical Lie, sounds like you thrived as a law receptionist.

What other duties were you responsible for carrying out and how much training did you get at the start? My employer is a outsourcing solutions company that provides law firms with support staff, they did tell me at the interview that they would send me to Bristol for some training. I'm a little worried that I will get thrown in the deep end due to my lack of administerial knowledge. I have been told that my main responsibilieis will be organising hospitality for meetings, booking accomodation/travel for lawyers, archiving, filing, scanning, mailing and other general stuff. Definitely sounds like a diverse role, but not an easy one :holmes:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 998

Aula